This invention relates to an ignition device for an internal combustion engine including a semiconductor amplifier circuit for the ignition function and formed as a single ignition unit which is, in turn, accommodated in a housing for a distributor.
One conventional ignition device of the type referred to is disclosed in Japanese patent publication No. 30818/1969 as including an electronic circuit for sensing the ignition position fixed in a hole cut out of a movable plate. The ignition device disclosed in the above cited patent publication is disadvantageous in that a semiconductor amplifier circuit constituting the ignition circuits and fixed to a movable plate cannot be provided because the space occupied by the semiconductor amplifier circuit is very small and the effect of heat dissiplation is also extremely poor.
Also Japanese patent publication No. 26527/1970 discloses an ignition device including an ignition amplifier disposed in a housing for a distributor. The ignition device disclosed in the latter patent publication has an ignition amplifier composed of power transistors and other circuit elements which are mounted separately and directly at the bottom of the housing. This has resulted in the disadvantages that the mounting operation is extremely difficult and moreover it can only be provided if a governor advance device is omitted.
Accordingly, it is a general object of the present invention to overcome the disadvantages of the prior art devices as described above.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved ignition device for an internal combustion engine including a signal unit for generating ignition signals, an ignition unit separate from the signal unit to amplify the ignition signals, and a housing for a distributor in which the ignition unit is detachably mounted along with the signal unit.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a new and improved ignition device for an internal combustion engine including a signal unit for generating ignition signals and an ignition unit for amplifying the ignition signals, the signal and the ignition units being separate from each other and easily electrically connected to each other.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a new and improved ignition device for an internal combustion engine including a signal unit for generating ignition signals, an ignition unit for amplifying the ignition signals and a housing for a distributor, in which the signal unit can be easily positioned so that the ignition unit can be easily mounted in and removed from the housing.